When I started my business, I promised myself I’d always show my team how much I value them. The campaign industry is notorious for working people into the ground and not valuing talented employees. Many of those star performers tend to go out on their own because of a lack of team camaraderie, upward mobility, mentorship, and because they do not feel valued by management.
That’s not to say the campaign industry is the only one suffering from this problem, but the key difference is the effort staffers put into their work in politics. We aren’t asking people to work sane hours towards the end of a campaign — we’re asking them to care about the business and clients as much as we do, working as many hours as it takes to win on Election Day.
Yes, they’re paid well to reflect the hours put in, but they’re more than just a means to an end. They’re passionate human beings who value mentorship tremendously. Every professional in this field, regardless of political affiliation, is in this to make positive change.
Once I realized we were set to have a record revenue year, I set out to find the perfect location to reward my incredible team. I decided that Turks & Caicos would be the perfect place for my team to rest, recharge, and reflect. We covered what went well this cycle, how we can improve, set our company goals for 2025, bonded as teammates, and of course, soaked up the sun.
We set a schedule that allowed for focused and strategic thinking each morning, team building in the afternoon, and team dinner each night.
This trip proved effective in many ways aside from the obvious boost of employee morale. We cultivated ideas in a more relaxed setting while getting to know a geographically diverse team better.
Here’s what I learned:
- We had a countdown to Election Day and a countdown to our retreat. It gave our team something to look forward to during all of those late nights and early mornings.
- I learned about struggles and hiccups within our processes. We had a few automation problems that nobody mentioned, but when one person opened up about it, another said yes and so on. Those conversations were truly impactful for our infrastructure.
- Asking your team to develop goals for themselves in their position is important and helps you learn how to help them grow. We agreed to provide different training opportunities requested by team members, to facilitate networking opportunities others wanted to take part in, and learned what specific campaigns team members wanted to work on.
- Beyond goals within the company, I asked each team member (if they were comfortable, which they all were) to provide a personal goal they wanted me to help hold them accountable for in 2025. I learned more about my team’s motivations and long-term goals outside of work, and can help lead them towards their success.
- Most of all, I learned I have the most fun team. We ate, drank, laughed, and truly enjoyed each other’s company.
So during this off season, I encourage business owners on both sides of the aisle to invest your profits into your team. Take the company retreat. Show them how much you value them as employees and people. I promise it won’t disappoint.
Morgan Bonwell is the Founder and CEO at Right Strategies, a conservative consulting firm dedicated to helping first-time candidates run for office, amplify their message, and win. Bonwell resides in Altoona, Iowa with her husband Michael, children Beau and Ellie, and dogs Maudie and Maverick.
